According to the NYT, the problem with the government’s handling of the fires is due to poor coordination between agencies (reform!), communication snafus (reform!), and not enough money (fork over!).

[This talk was presented at the Mises Institute 25th Anniversary Celebration on October 13, 2007.]

Edmund Burke always claimed that his 1756 defense of anarchism, A Vindication of Natural Society, was intended satirically, and most Burke scholars have agreed.

Economics out of a crucible describes the way World War and “war socialism” crystallized the scientific mind of Ludwig Mises. During WWI Mises spend 2 years at the front lines commanding an artillery unit. In 1916 — between front line assignments — Mises spent a further 7 months at the Scientific Committee for War Economics at the War Ministry. It must have been jarring to move from combat to an “Ivory Tower” government think tank and back again to combat. War gives men a surprising amount of time to think. At the same time war concentrates the mind like few other emotional experiences.

According to this story, the “rich” can afford private fire protection. Let’s not forget that only the “rich” could once afford cell phones, televisions, cars, and electricity. Free the market for fire protection, and many things would change. (Thanks to Robert Murphy.)

Once, when my newborn son was barely back from the hospital, I was holding him in my arms with my wife looking on. I asked him, “Can you say marginal rate of substitution?” My wife recognized that as a bit of economics jargon and accused me of trying to turn our son into an economist like me. While it was said as a little joke between the two of us, the longer I teach and write, the more I seriously wish people actually thought in such marginal terms, because many of the times that we confuse ourselves and others are due to our failure to do so.

It turns out that Garet Garrett wrote one last novel called Harangue, published in 1926. It tells the story of a socialist workers movement and its control of a North Dakota town (see the Wikipedia entry on the Non-Partisan League). I nearly got in a car crash on the way to work because I couldn’t stop reading it.

[This article is excerpted from the final chapter of The Betrayal of the American Right, now available in the bookstore.]

For years now, Leonard Liggio and I had been looking for a “left,” for an antiwar movement, with which we could ally ourselves.

How fashionable it is to love nature.

Down with industry, development, internal-combustion engines, clear cutting, strip malls, and private ownership. Capitalists do nothing but ravage the beauty of mother earth. The hand of man only strangles and kills.

If you agree with the above, you will love the fires that have driven half a million people from their homes in California, and destroyed 1,200 houses. President Bush is dumping your money in the form of aid on these suffering souls, and the flames rage on. FULL ARTICLE